There's a chill in the air at Seafood Express in Stockton, where workers are preparing pounds and pounds of Dungeness for local crab feeds.

"They wash it, break the legs off the bodies and hand crack it," said Byron Franklin of Seafood Express, the crab catering business in Stockton. "So it's all ready for you to dig in."

On Thursday, about 6,000 pounds of the Pacific Ocean delicacy were being unpacked and cracked for this weekend's crab feeds.

And Franklin was busy working the phone, taking orders from local charities and nonprofit groups hoping to raise funds by hosting crab feeds where ticket holders dine on fresh Dungeness with all the trimmings.

One such nonprofit, the Stockton Host Lions Club, uses its crab feed to raise money for student scholarships.

It has a football theme.

"Well, we call it the Stockton Host Lions Club Super Crab Bowl," Steve Richmond, an organizer of the crab feed, said. "We just have a lot of fun."

And, along with all that tasty crab, they serve up two kinds of pasta, bread, salad and dessert.

Members of the Lincoln High Leos Club will be waiting tables at the event, working for tips.

Crab feeds dot the calendar throughout the county for much of the winter.

Some folks like to make the rounds - and not just for the crab.

Stacy Jones of Stockton said the silent auctions and raffles such events feature are a great way for small businesses to reach a wider audience.

And she appreciates being able to help out the nonprofits.

"It is also fun to go with a large group of friends," Jones said.

And because most crab feeds feature dancing and no-host bars, it's dinner and a show.